May 5, 2000 (Lexington, Ky.) The
University of Kentucky recognized the latest recipients of its three highest academic
graduate fellowships at the annual UK Honors and Recognition Awards program. Presented
were the Otis A. Singletary, W.L. Matthews and Charles T. Wethington Jr. Fellowship
awards. The recipients are graduating at the May 7 commencement. The
Otis A. Singletary Fellowship Award is given to a UK student entering graduate or
professional study who has demonstrated high academic achievement and university
leadership. The award provides a $12,000 stipend for the 2000-2001 academic year and is
provided by the UK Athletic Association to honor the eighth president of UK. The awardees
are:
Rocky Evan Bacelieri: Bacelieri is graduating from UK with a degree
in biology and will enter the College of Medicine in the fall. He has served as an
undergraduate teaching assistant in biological sciences and has participated in
Alzheimers disease research. He is a recipient of the Biology Ribble Scholarship and
is a member of the Alpha Epsilon, Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key national honor societies.
His volunteer work includes delivering medicine to the elderly and working in physical
therapy and at Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington.
He
is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Bacelieri of London, Ky.
Christy Renee Goldsworthy: Goldsworthy is graduating with an
English degree and will enter the College of Law in the fall. She is a National Merit
Scholar, an Honors Program student, a member of the Honors Program Student Council and
Societas Pro Legibus and is a nominee for Phi Beta Kappa. She has served as a tutor for
high school athletes and as president of the Ashland Chapter of Christian Youth Services.
She is a teacher at Woodbridge Academy and participates in Bouncing Babies, a literacy
outreach program of the Lexington Public Library.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rick Ison of Rush, Ky.
Feerozeh Dawn Jahanshahi:
Jahanshahi earns her biology degree and will enter the College of Medicine in the fall.
She has been a member of the Persian Student Association, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor
Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-medical honor society. She has served as a tutor,
privately and with UKs Learning Services Center, and was a chemistry department
laboratory assistant. She has volunteered at Morton Middle School, with the American
Cancer Society and UKs pediatric departments Young Parents Program.
Jahanshahi
is the daughter of Izadbak and Christine Kay Jahanshahi of Lexington.
Kevin Pierce: Pierce is graduating with a dual bachelor and
masters degree in engineering and business administration. He is president of his
fraternity chapter at UK and is a member of the fraternitys board of alcohol reform.
He also serves as judical board chairman for the UK Interfraternity Council. He has been a
group leader for Kentucky Welcome, the universitys freshman orientation. He is a
member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and the Kentucky Society of Professional
Engineers.
Pierce
is the son of Joseph and Teresa Pierce of Louisville.
Azadeh Shirazi: Shirazi will earn her biology degree and enroll in
the College of Medicine in the fall. She has spent her summers working as a research
assistant at Harvard Medical School, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
and UKs biochemistry department. She has volunteered at Brigham and Womens
Hospital in Boston, Parkland Hospital in Dallas and the Pediatric Speciality Clinic at the
Kentucky Clinic. An Honors Program student, she has served as president of the Persian
Students Association and has been a member of the International Student Council.
Shirazi
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ghasem Shirazi of Lexington.
The
W.L. Matthews Jr. Fellowship is awarded for graduate or professional study, carries a
stipend of $12,000 for the 2000-2001 academic year provided by the UK Athletic Association
and is named for the former law school dean who served as the UK faculty representative to
the NCAA for 23 years. Recipient of the award for 2000-2001 is:
Michael
Odell Walker: An agricultural public service and leadership student, Walker has
been nominated to the deans list in each semester hes been at UK. He was
recently selected as one of 40 Kentucky Leaders for a New Century, a year-long
networking and training program sponsored by Kentuckys newspapers. He is a past
state president and secretary of Kentucky 4-H and has participated in a policy internship
with the Kentucky Farm Bureau. In 1999, he was a legislative intern for Sen. Mitch McConnell at his Washington, D.C., office. He has
served as president and vice president of the universitys pre-law association and as
an associate justice for the Student Government Association Supreme Court.
He is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Danny Walker of Kuttawa, Ky.
The
Charles T. Wethington Jr. Fellowship is awarded for graduate or professional study,
carries a stipend of $12,000 for the 2000-2001 academic year provided by the UK Athletic
Association and is named for the current president of UK. This years two recipients
are:
Stephanie Jane Berrong: Berrong is graduating with a double major
in English and the classics and will pursue graduate study in the classics beginning in
the fall. A member of the UK Honors Program and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, she is a
Kentucky Governors Scholar and is co-founder of the Community Bookshelf, an
organization dedicated to increasing awareness of literacy and learning by providing books
to Lexingtons children.
She
is the daughter of Duane and Jane Berrong of Henderson, Ky.
Kevin Hong: A biology student, Hong will enter graduate study in the
College of Medicine in the fall. He has been a member of the Honors Program, Alpha Phi
Omega service fraternity and Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-medical honorary. He has served as a
student laboratory instructor for Chemistry Excel and has been a volunteer for Hospice of
the Bluegrass, Radio Eye and Shriners Hospital for Children.
He is the son of Mei and C.B. Hong of Lexington.

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